Our daily lives have drastically changed within the past 20 years due to the Internet and how it has so easily integrated itself into our day-to-day lives. It is hard to picture a day without the use of Internet. A person would not be able to contact a friend across seas, share their emotions and thoughts instantly with everyone they know via social media, or even buy a frivolous item from some random man in Taiwan. On an even bigger scale, banks could not make online transactions, and the worldwide news of tragic incidents or horrible oncoming weather would not be able to report to people globally. The Internet has slowly wrapped its grasp around every aspect of our lives. Most everything we do throughout the day has to come with some recollection of using the internet: looking up the a study guide to ace a test, downloading music to listen to while passing time, bidding on that item we do not need but rather want, checking stocks to make sure people are investing in the right companies, gaming with a friend from another town, to finding a date for a Friday night, or perhaps just watching your favorite movies alone at home. All these things humans can do in merely one day alone thanks to the Internet and how it has impacted our lives. An aspect of life we can no longer overlook is the heavy influence of social media in everyone’s lives. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are the three leading social media sites that consume most of our Millennials’ lives as well as many older adults. It seems as if people today cannot make it through a trip to Starbucks without taking a picture of their coffee and some overly priced muffin. People are finding a certain comfort in having a constant connection to society and their friends. Every photo, status, or tweet uploaded is a way for everyone to reassure their ideas and view on the world is supported by society. People anywhere in the world can follow famous people like Johnny Depp or LeBron James on social media sites such as Twitter or Instagram to constantly see what they are doing. This kind of social media has allowed us to feel as if we are connected to those we admire but if we take a step back and look at how we are practically watching their every move, it almost seems like we are stalking those that we idolize. Most of society uses Facebook to keep in touch with their old friends from high school, keep track of their favorite bands, and even scout out people that look like they could possibly be good friend or relationship material. Facebook is notorious for causing drama amongst families, friends, and companies with their employees due to how much people vent their emotions and occasionally post pictures of illegal activities on the social media site.
Companies have learned to search to snoop on Facebook and find information about potential employees before hiring them. These companies may or may not hire potential employees strictly based off of what they have posted publicly that might hurt the company or portray the company in a bad light. If someone goes to apply at a job and the employer searches on Facebook for information about them and stumbles onto photos of the potential employee smoking marijuana the employer will be more inclined to deny that potential employee unless they are some sort of head shop that deals with that kind of market. Instagram revolves around photos and making everyone feel as if they are photographers. This app allows people on social media to put a filter onto their photos then share them in a stream. Employers can also view this site and use it as a basis on whether or not they want to hire the potential employee.
Everyone uses these sites for one main purpose, to stay connected to the world. Without this constant connection to the world and their friends, people would have to go back to mailing letters across nations. Mailing a letter to another town or even to another country could take weeks
